Word-of-mouth marketing is powerful. We trust people we know more than strangers who try to sell us things. It’s just common sense. But, in today’s bizarre digital world, a new type of “people we know” has emerged. Let me show you what I mean… In about a month I’m going to a yoga event led by my friend Adriene. Though, to be honest, I’ve never met Adriene – so maybe “friend” is too strong a word. But I’ve spent hours of time doing yoga with her online. So, she sure as heck feels like a friend. Adriene Mishler, of Yoga with Adriene, is a yoga instructor, Youtube celebrity, and influencer. And if she recommended a yoga or health-related product to me, I’d seriously consider buying it. Because Adriene has earned my trust. These new “in-between” people – people like Adriene that we’ve never met, but feel like we know so well – are powerful forces. They’re the face of the newest form of word-of-mouth marketing. And small businesses can really benefit from their endorsement. But, why? It’s all about authenticity. When a friend gives a product or service recommendation it’s not because they’re getting a cut. It’s because they had a really positive interaction with that business. And, they want you to have positive experiences, too. We trust our friends’ recommendations because our friends have earned our trust. Similarly, we trust the influencers in our lives because we’ve invested a comparable amount of time – and participated in a similar amount of positive experiences – as we would with a friend. And, as influencer and social marketing guru Jeff Bullas explains (emphasis added): When an influencer promotes your goods, it has to be done naturally and sincerely because influencers are usually people who have built their credibility by being credible. Repeated positive exposure and repeated exchanges of genuine value enable influencers to earn our respect and our trust. Credibility and authenticity are vital to the influencer/influencee relationship. This is true for all businesses, but especially true for startup businesses. As we emphasized in our guide on how to start a business, early customers who become zealous advocates and write rave reviews play a very important role in helping you grow your business. But, not just any influencer will do. Just like our friends, influencers have certain spheres of expertise. We wouldn’t follow advice on how to fix our car from our friend who knows nothing about cars. And, we wouldn’t embrace endorsements from influencers who have nothing to do with the product or service they’re endorsing. In order for influencer endorsement to have any real impact, your product or service must align with both the influencer’s area of expertise and their audience’s areas of interest. And the influencers must align well with your brand and brand identity. Therein lies the rub. How do you find the right influencers to endorse your brand? And how do you connect with them once you’ve found them? Luckily, you’re not on your own. Or,..
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